Trinidad's North Coast: Maracas Bay, rainforest and turtles

Maracas Bay and nearby beaches

The North Coast Road from Maraval climbs through forest to the Maracas Lookout, where vendors sell chow, tamarind balls and cold drinks above the bay. Maracas Bay itself is Trinidad's favourite beach, a wide curve of sand with lifeguards, changing rooms and a row of bake and shark stands. Richard's is the famous one, but most stalls are good; the fun is in loading your fried shark and bake with tamarind, garlic sauce, shado beni, pineapple and pepper.

A few minutes further along, Tyrico Bay is small and often quiet, and Las Cuevas is calmer and cleaner, a good choice for families. Sea conditions change quickly on this coast, so swim where lifeguards are on duty and respect red flags.

Blanchisseuse and the far coast

The road ends at Blanchisseuse, a sleepy village with a little suspension bridge over the Marianne River. Locals kayak or wade up the river to cool pools, and a long forest trail continues to Paria Bay and its waterfall. Use a registered local guide for longer hikes: trails are remote and phone signal is patchy.

Into the forest

Inland, the Arima Valley holds the Asa Wright Nature Centre, a famous birding lodge with a verandah of feeders where hummingbirds, honeycreepers and toucans come close. In the Maracas Valley, Yerette is a private home that welcomes visitors to watch hummingbirds. Brasso Seco is a cocoa village deep in the hills with community guides, and Mount St Benedict, a hilltop monastery above Tunapuna, has broad views and a guest house loved by birders.

Grande Riviere and the northeast

Reached by the road around the east via Toco, Grande Riviere is one of the most important nesting beaches in the world for leatherback turtles. From March to August, licensed local guides lead small groups onto the beach at night, and the beach has visitor rules and a permit system in nesting season. Galera Point lighthouse at Toco and the Rio Seco waterfall at Salybia are good stops on the way.

Practical tips

There is little public transport on the North Coast, so most visitors go with a trusted driver or a tour. Leave early on weekends, when Maracas is busy with families. Do not leave bags in parked cars, avoid stopping on isolated stretches after dark, and carry cash, as cards are rarely taken at beach stalls.

A day trip plan

Leave Port of Spain early, stop at the Maracas Lookout for the view, then spend the morning swimming at Las Cuevas or Maracas while the sea is calmer. Have bake and shark for lunch, then either head home through the mountains or carry on to Blanchisseuse for a river swim before turning back in daylight. Birders can instead spend the whole day at Asa Wright, arriving early when the forest is most active and staying for lunch on the verandah.

Respecting the coast

The North Coast is home to small farming and fishing communities. Take your rubbish home, keep music low in villages, and use the bins and facilities at the main beaches. On turtle beaches, never use torches or camera flash near nesting turtles, keep well back from hatchlings and follow your guide's instructions at all times. The rules exist to protect a species that has nested here for thousands of years.